Lloyd Rayney acquitted of murdering his wife Corryn

An appeal against the murder acquittal of former prominent Perth barrister Lloyd Rayney has been dismissed in the WA Court of Appeal.

Mr Rayney was cleared in November last year of murdering his estranged wife, Supreme Court registrar Corryn Rayney, following a highly-publicised three-month trial.

Ms Rayney, 44, disappeared on August 7, 2007 after her weekly bootscooting class and was found about a week later in a bush grave at Perth's popular Kings Park.

A judge and lawyers were brought in from interstate for the trial because the pair were well known in Perth's legal fraternity. Prosecutors took the uncommon step of appealing the not guilty verdict in August.

They claimed there were errors of law in the judgment by former Northern Territory chief justice Brian Martin, who concluded Ms Rayney was randomly attacked outside her home.

In the appeal hearing, lawyer for the state, David Jackson QC, claimed Justice Martin did not properly consider all the circumstantial evidence as a whole, including a dinner place card with Mr Rayney's name on it that was found near the gravesite. Lawyers for Mr Rayney argued his acquittal was justified and Justice Martin followed the law "faithfully".

Two retired judges from NSW, Justice Anthony Whealy and Justice Terence Buddin, and a sitting judge in Victoria's Court of Appeal, Justice Mark Weinberg, were flown to Perth to hear the appeal, which lasted two days.

They dismissed the appeal but the matter could still go to the High Court.

It is estimated the trial and appeal have cost WA up to $2.5 million.

Mr Rayney has two other court matters pending - allegations he was involved in phone tapping, and a defamation case against police after he was named the "prime" and "only" suspect in his wife's murder, years before he was finally charged.